All My Powers Surrendered

On this special day, known as Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, we have stepped much deeper into this mission path of publishing, living, personal truths about Jesus.

What is our banner saying today? Still under the banner of that single verse of Charlotte Barnard’s hymn, we receive. Here is the verse again.

Saviour, while my heart is tender, I would yield that heart to Thee; All my powers to Thee surrender, Thine, and only Thine, to be.

On this Maundy Thursday, the banner before us says, All my powers to Thee surrender. It speaks out loudly, in unwavering, confident and positive words. Once again, it is a deeply personal banner, which only the individual can make about himself or herself in response to Jesus. However, be it clearly known that it is an outright, downright evil for anyone who does not have a tender, yielded heart, to carry such a banner unto Jesus Christ. To publish or hold up what is untrue of you, is unadulterated sin and Sovereign, Father God, will never sanction such. To carry such a banner will be to have the heart and mind of a Judas.

It is to show outwardly, the lofty and admirable banner of service which says, ‘All my powers to Thee surrendered’, but inwardly, in the heart and mind, the opposite reigns.

Here is Judas, a man like all the other men. Here he is, chosen by Jesus to walk with Him. Note now, these chilling, convicting and condemning facts even, which are imperative and which we need to hear and ponder upon in self-evaluation. This is for all of us who are not being as careful and mindful, about our once surrendered lives to Jesus. As with every other of the eleven disciples, Judas never volunteered himself to Jesus’ service. Judas was a person whom Jesus personally called. Is this you, O servant-follower of Jesus? Can you also claim that you never approached the Lord and told Him that you wanted to be on His discipleship team? Have you not also been called by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to be His disciple and follow Him?

Like Judas, you too have left much to follow Jesus and you have been with Him for a long while. Also, like Judas, you have seen His laughter and His tears. You witnessed His miracles and how He loved people – all people – Jew and Gentile alike. You were amazed at how wicked, evil demons, which possessed people, making them less than humans, recognized Jesus from a distance and immediately began to tremble at His Divine, Sovereign Power over them. You have seen Him angry and how He simply could not stomach people making His Father’s House a den of thieves. You saw Him singlehanded, clean and cleanse the temple, in no meek and mild way either.

O Judas, Satan has entered your heart and has taken control, prompting your every step against your Jesus, Son of God. You now carry a hidden inner banner of a heart yielded to Satan. Does Jesus know this about you? Of course He does for He is God Omniscient.

O yes, Jesus, the Son of Man, knew exactly what was before Him. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. John 13: 3.

While you, O Judas, were carrying a hidden banner of betrayal, as servant-follower, Jesus was carrying an open banner of filial love to all, including you. He feasted with you in the Passover meal; He shared His Broken Body and Shed Blood with you, in the Last Supper; He served you to the end, even washing your filthy feet. His single, unfailing Love for you stood to the end.

What is the condition of your heart? If indeed all your powers have been surrendered to Jesus, then you cannot but publish in your saved life, the Power of the Cross.

With two more Holy Week days to go, two-sevenths more of the final mile, our only desire is to be more and more submissive to our Saviour.